Cranberry-harvesting apparatus



H. a. MAGLATHLIN CRANBERRY HARVESTING APPARATUS May 24, 1927. 6 9,831

Filed Nov; 8 92 .jigz 4 Patented May 24-, 1927.

HORACE 1 M GL TiiL NQ on nmesron, MASSACHUSETTS.

cnAnnnnny-nnnvnsgrxne APPARATUS.

Application filed Iflfoyemher @1923. Serie1 I Io G78p511'.

This invention relates to berry harvesting machines and thelike, and "isespecially direc tedtothe, picking element of siieh machines whichremoves the berries frointhe vines and 'conv'eys'theni to a. receiver.

A'p'rincipal objeet oft-he invention is to improve and feeili'tatethfeassembling" and subseqnent replacement or repair 'of'tlie piekingelement on snoh machines and at the same time provide a' construct-ionwhich is adaptable to and will "resist the eonditions" to which itisordinaeil subjectd while in use. 'Itis'also an object'of'thisinvention to provide a device which will remove all or a large partofthe berries but at the same tithe avoid"injnryto the 'vines fIOIIlwhiehthey are beingharveste'd. one: embodiment of tlie inventioniwhiohis typical of its zidap'tationin practice, will 'bedeser'ihed ineonneetien with a cranberry f harvester, as shown in thea'eeomp'an'y-ing drawings, In wh1ch:

Fig. ,1' is n plan I n p e hes (t Pi klin I cranberry harvest-i teethbeing removed) Fig. 'Q/is' a side elevation thereof showing theteeth'in'vposition'; I Fig"; 3 is a d'tai led section of theassembled-picking element;-

Fig; '45 is a longitudinal developed view 'Qf'tliGStLIDGf Fig.5 is apicker teeth and mountingstherfqr;'2ind Fig. 6 is a sectional iewon"l'ine' 6- 6 of nFigpf), V I

'Reierring to the drawings 1' represents generally" a cranberryharvestingtniiehine of well kn own type and" 'c'onstruetion, mayhe-hor'se drewn,:0r"meter driven its shown. From the axle 3 upon whichthe supporting wheels {l are fixedirijli'sna-l inan- -1ier', arepivotally mo nted? supporting framjesZ which 'hi've anniila'r bearingsf5'at their forward efit're'initliesl' :VVithiii said detailedperspective of the bearings and fixedly rrioiiiited between d frames isa Cylindrical r ec'eptaele 6, having 2i l'ongitudinal opening 7 inthetop niid an outlet 10 eXt-en'cl'ingthrongh"one of sa id iranies 2.Within the re'eptacle 6 zi'nd parallel to openin horizontal conveyor'be'ltS ineurited" uj'on Toner-s" 9 iand'e'xtending" through outlet 10 CThis belt is 'p'eratefl by' gears l1"atnda belt 12 which passes" over a;pulley onthe View of a complete axle" 3 is it large As theinfic I 7theie is provided a 1 *hea df1 6. 5 The rotatio'ii of head '16 mile 3. Abox 14 is held upon a bra cket fastened to thefrtme 2' iinder'the'clischarge end "of 'sztichconveyor belt "5.

M- z Mounted upon sa d annular hear ngs 5, and surrOund-mg receptacle 6,are prov ded headers -16 and 17. Between the enter peripheriesofth'headers 16 grid 17" 1re Zlg'olt's 20, elongated blades of each 7being Iip'turned and the inner edge adapted to "just clear the eyli'ndrigtl 'reeep- Between sai bar end ehztniiel' member, and filtei'r'izitifi'g' with Y the sp'zi'e ing bloekls are inserted "upwardlydisposedteeth 31 whiiih are slightly thicker "than" said lilocksf v c-'eordingly' receive the pressure" between the bar" 'ai'ld'blade and aregripped thereby. H Fixedlyiiioiiiited upon "one "end of the gear '18meshing with gear 1Q,"which'isinonnted on the nigihine 1, withmetor' 30,and ha'satjthe opposite end of'its" s'h tfta pulley :5. Feesmotor 30,directly connected to getir 19 zis shown in Figure 1, or itniz y behorse drawn, which case gear 18 on the wheel'will drivejgezir'19,with'thesdrneresult. j 1

ii'pedal 3 3 and let ers 34" tire also provided upenthe machin 1 i'vhiehthe na es 2 may b'e rt ised or loweredfthns lifting the into operativeposition as desired. is driven over the gronfnd, by horse or by, meter;the 'rotgition of its at- X163 zinthgear l gtliereon or 'tliefjn'i'otor,30,

22;" and pnlley' 21 anel tlierehy rot the opposite" head 1'7' and "chainnie n lie'rs erther'ebetwe'm w H j f unit, prefert bly inthe saiiiedirection advance of the lrnaehine "6n the "iindereide *tgi'ele'fijasshown 'inFig; 3. The longitudinal eontour of these blades orchannermembers ing fiier'piilley' 151m at similar pulley 21 s which is"fastened: ppm; the hem 16,38 the belt 22; The'hiirvesterine'y bed'riiien by a will difiire inturn' g ar 719', pii-lley belt pickedberriers picker or counterclockwise as shown by the arrow in Fig. 2.IVith the picking element in lowered position, the edges. 26 of channelmembers 24 will be rotated upwardly against the bushes or vines in frontof them. The projecting teeth 31, due to the angular disposition ofchannel members 24, will suecessively pass upward through the vines, andstrip the berries therefrom. As the channel member rises higher theberries will fall inward upon its lower or channel portion 25 and thentall through the opening 7 of the receptacle 6, where they will bereceived by the conveyor belt 8 and carried through outlet 10 to the box14. In such service, it will be apparent thatthe picker teeth 31 aresubjected to severe strains, and

as-a result frequent'breakage is liable to occur. Consequently it oftenbecomes necessary to repair or renew them, and it is exceedinglydesirable that this may be accomplished simply and quickly. In order todo this in the present device, it is only necessary to loosen the screws29 on either side of the defective tooth (thus relieving the grippingaction thereon between channel member 24 and the clamping bar 27), towithdraw the broken tooth, insert a new tooth and to retighten screws29. thus drawing bar 27 and channel member 24 together and re-grippingthe new tooth. The machine is then ready for service again, with aminimum of delay or labor on the part of the operator, andthe use ofonly a screw driver is necessary. Such breakage is confined to theindividual tooth, in the first instance, and only the detective part isinvolved in the repairing operation. The adjustment of other parts isentirely unaflected.

Moreover. it isto be observed that this invention, the projectingportion of the tooth may be adjusted to that length which is mosteffective for the purpose. Different sizes and shapes of teeth may alsobe employed and the distance at which they are spaced apart will beregulated by the spacing blocks accordingly I claim:

1. In a berry picking machine or the like, a pair of spaced rotatableheads, means for rotating the same, a picking element mounted thereon,comprising a channel member so disposed as to constitute a support forpicked berries when the element is picker teeth adjustablyanounted uponthe radial flange olthe channelmember.

2. In a berry picking machine or the like,

mountmember. to constitute a support for when the element is ingposition and having a radial flange,

so disposed as 111g position and having clamping bar parallel torotating the picked berries when the element in pick- 1mg position andhaving a radial flange, and

spacing blocks in pickvof the spacing blocks and portions ofthe bar andflange. teeth mounted upon said radial flange, and means for adjustablytightening said teeth upon said radial flange.

3. In a berry picking machine or the like, a pair of spaced rotatableheads, means for rotating the same, a picking element mount ed thereon,comprising a channel member so disposed as to constitute a support forpicked berries when theelement is in pick a radial flange, a the radialflange, said bar and flange, for drawing said bar picker teeth betweenand clamping means and flange together. r

4. In a berry picking machine or the like, a pair of spaced rotatableheads, means for rotating the same, a picking element mounted thereon,comprising a channel member so disposed as to constitute a support forpicked berries when theelement is in picking position and having aradial flange, a clamping bar parallel to the radial flange, pickerteeth between said bar and flange, spacing blocks between the pickerteeth and clamping means for drawing said bar and flange together.

5. In a berry picking machine or the like, a pair of spaced rotatableheads, means for rotating the same, a picking element mounted thereon,comprising a channel member so disposed as to constitute a support forpicked berries whenthe element is in picking position and having aradial -flange,a clamping bar parallel to the radial flange, pickerteeth between'said bar and flange, spacing blocks between the pickerteeth, the spacing blocks being the picker teeth, and clamping'means fordrawing said bar and flange together.

6. In a berry picking machine or the like, a pair of spaced rotatableheads, means for ed thereon, comprising a channel member so disposed asto constitute a support for the is in pickingposition andliaving aradial flange, a

of lesser thickness than i same, a picking element niountclamping barparallel to the radial flange,

alternate picker teeth and spacing blocks be tween said bar and flange,and a clamping screw passin through each of the spacing blocks andengaging adjacent portion of the bar-and flange. i 1

7. In a berry picking machine or the like, a pair of spaced rotatableheads, means for rotating the same, a picking element mounted thereon,comprising a helical channel member so disposed as to constitute asupport for thepicked berries when the element is in picking positionand havinga radial flange, a helicalclamping bar parallel to the radialflange, alternate picker teeth and between said bar and flange, and aclamping screw passing through each engaging adjacent .8. In a berrypicking machineor the like,

a pair of spaced rotatable heads, means for rotating the same, a pickingelement mounted thereon, comprising a helical channel member, sodisposed as to constitute a support for the picked berries when theelement is in picking position and having a radial flange, a helicalclamping bar parallel to the radial flange, picker teeth mounted uponsaid radial flange, and means for adjustably tightening said teethSigned by me at Boston Massachusetts this 15th day of October, 1923.

HORACE B. MAGLATHLIN.

upon said radial flange. 10

